Body appliance



July 12, 1960 INVENTOR.

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2,944,551 PatentedJtiiy 12, 1960 ice- 2,944,551 BODY APPLIANCE CarlBreer, 15600 Windmill Point Drive,

' Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Filed Sept. 8, 1958, Ser. No, 759,637

3 Claims. (or. 123-295 V This invention relates to a device or apparatusfor the confining, collection and removal of urine discharged by aninvalid or an infant. This invention is concernedparticularly with anapparatus having a collector bag that can be sealingly applied to thecrotch portionof'the human body by means of a suction action that alsoacts to collect and withdraw the fluid resulting from anact of urinationor the like. e e

2 a the attainment of the maximum amount of rest and the benefitsassociated therewith. This invention relates to a device in the natureof an undergarment that may be readily applied to and worn on the crotchportion of the human body without any discomfort whatever and which*device will entrap and drain away the results of any act of urinationor the like without causing any soiling of the patients bed garments orthe bedding on which the posited in an accumulator jar, tank. or thelike.

7 the urine will not be'in contact with the exterior skin surfaces ofthecrotch portion for any appreciable time vwhatever. This tends toprevent the development of It is a primary object of this invention toprovide an;

apparatus including a collector bag that may befapplied to the crotchportion ofthe human body and, sealingly re tained in position bysub-atmospheric internal-pressure such that any fluid discharged intothe bag will be trapped within the bag and readily removed 'therefro nbymeans of the suction source producing the sub-atmospheric pressurewithin the bag. 1

It is still another object of this invention to provide a urinationcontrol device that is easily-applied to and.

comfortably retain in position on the crotch portion of a human beingsuch that the user has'freedom of movement and can enjoy uninterruptedrest while using this device.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a urination controldevice having a pants-like collector bag to be worn on the crotchportion of the human body with said collector bag being readilyconnectible'to any common type of sub-atmospheric pressure source suchthat the subatmospheric pressure within the bag will produce a liquidtight seal between the bag and the surrounded body portion and alsocause withdrawal of any fluid discharged into the bag.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a device forpersons experiencing urination control prob lems wherein a pressuredifierential'is utilized to effect a leakproof seal and to drain awayany, fluid' that may be emitted.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be- 7 come readilyapparent from a reading of the following description and a considerationof the related; drawings wherein: a 1

Fig. 1 is'an elevational view, partly i embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view bribed-,5

lector bag utilized with the invention shown inFi'g, 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line4--4ofFig. 3;

and furthermore, these acts produce objectionable bed conditions thatdisturb the patient or infant and prevent viewof the collector bag skinirritations that sometimes result from the contact between urine and theexternal skin around the crotch portion. Also, because the urine isimmediately drained away after .its emission there is little chance forany leaksage to develop or' for any odors to develop.

The immediate removal of the urine from the collector bag after itscollection prevents any uncomfortableness that might result fromhaving'the bag swell due to liquid filling the bag interior. I I

This invention involves the use of a physical principle in a specificmanner that is thought to be new and novel as applied to devices of thisgeneral type. 'It is a Wellknown principle that liquid will not, in andof itself, flow up hill. Likewise, liquid cannot freely flow. from a lowpressure chamber to a high pressure chamber. Accordingly, if liquid iscollected in a collector bag, or the like, wherein the internal pressureis sub-atmospheric, then the collected liquid cannot flow or leak out ofthe bag to the adjacent, relatively high pressure, atmosphere. By theconnection of the aforedescribed collector bag to a subatmosphericorvacuum source, the low pressure source accomplishes two functions thatare new and quite advantageous in devices of this type. I First the lowpressure produced within the collector bag causes the relatively highatmospheric pressure outside of the bag to hold the bag in sealingengagement with the patients body so that any urine or other liquidmatter discharged into the col lectorbag cannot leak out of the bag.Second, the low pressure suction source will cause immediate withdrawalof the liquid from the'collector bag after'the urinary act so that theliquid may be readily discharged into an accumulator jar, reservoir,discharge trap, or the like. ;v I This'prevents any bu lkiness-beingdeveloped Wlthillrth, n'section of one bag during use. Quick removal ofthe urine .deposited in the bag will also 'preventiskin irritation. Theimmediate removal of the urine from the collector bag will alsorpreventthedevelopment of odors Immediate removal of the, urine also keeps thebag dry on the inside'so that in 2 the eventa leak should accidentallydevelop due to activity a on thepart of the patient, then there will benospillageof urine onlto the/adjacentv bedding, undergarments, or

the like. The dual function of the, sub-atmospheric pressure source thatis attached to the urine collector bag is thoughtto be new and novelindevices of the general type herein described;

Looking at the' drawings Fig. .1 shows one form oft"; this inventionwherein the collector bag 10 is connected by a conduit 11a, 11b to asubatmospheric suction pump P. Intermediate the adjacent ends of theconduit sec- 5 v tions 1-1a,11b,;there is anaccumulator jar or reservoir13. In the instance shown the jar 13 is in the form of a pitcher havinga handle 14, a pouring spout 15 that is a closed off by a removable cap16, and a removable cover 17 to seal ofi the interior of the pitcher,Conduit section 11a has one end connected to the interior of theaccumulator 13 through a sealproof grommet 18. The other end of conduitsection 11a is sealingly connected to the collector bag 11 as will bepresently explained. One end of the conduit section 11:! is likewiseconnected to the interior of the pitcher 13 by means of a sealproofgrornmet 19. The other end of conduit section lib is conneeted to thesuction pump P. 7

Pump P- is preferably electric motor driven by a motor M. The motor Mmay be of variable speed control, or at least have two speeds, so thatone sub-atmospheric pres sure can be produced at a relatively low motorspeed to take care of the patient when he is normally resting in bed-ina relaxed condition and a second higher speed to produce a greatersub-atmospheric pressure to take care of the patient when he might bemore active than normally. The motor M is shown with a control lead 21having a control switch 22 with two contacts F and S to denote fast orslow speed depending on what degree of sub-atmospheric pressure isdesired. For normal requirements pump speeds that will produce snb atmospheric pressures of from 2 to 8 inches of mercury are satisfactory,

The pump P can be any form of suction pump such as l a vane, slipper,piston or rotor type. It is necessary that the pump P be quiet and of atype that does not'require oil or grease type lubrication. There is 'adangerof fumes or impurities being discharged into the room of r thepatient if oil or grease lubricants are required for either the pump Por the motor M. Pump P is provided with an adjustable suction controlvalve such that the maximum sub-atmospheric pressure to be developed inthe collector bag it can be readily controlled. Any type of limit valveV may be used. The type shown is just by way of example and is notindicative of any preferred type.

The collector bag 10, which involves the nucleus ofthis invention, isessentially a' pair of waterproof pants formed from a sheet of elasticmaterial. These pants have zipper fasteners 31 along each'side seam sothat the pants-like unit can be opened up into substantially a flatsheet for easy insertion beneath a patient. Any typeof fastening means31 could be 'used. Alternatively fthe collector bag unit 19 could be asingle piece or integral unit that would be applied to the patientas aconventional pair of underpantswould be put on. The leg openings 32 incollector bag it have enlarged roll edges 33 so that they mayefiectively seal against the patients legs when the interior of thecollector bag is subject to a sub-atmospheric pressure. The upper edge34 of the collector bag It} is also formed with an enlarged roll edge sothat it may effectively seal against the patients body. The actualcrotch portion '35of the collectorbag ltl is outlined by a series ofinwardly projecting ribs 36. These ribs 36 prevent complete collapse ofthe collector bag 10 when it is subjected to a sub-atmospheric pressure.These ribs 36 also provide effective sealing lips to define the areawithin which the urine will be collected. The spaced apart ribs3dprovide multiple iip seals that prevent leakage of any urine fromwithin'the bag 10. It will be noted that the lip seals 36 are of such ashape that they restrict the urine collection a-rea to a relativelysmall part of the pants-like collector bag 10. The portions of thebag itabove the ribs as can be perforated V as at 39 to permit air to readilycirculate and thus prevent perspiration formation. The lowerpart 38 ofthe crotch portion 35 of the collector bag 10 is shaped toprovide atrough-like channel to collect the urine discharged into the bag. Trough38 is connected to the conduit 11a so that any urine collected intrough38 can be readily passed into the accumulator jar i3. It, has

4 been found that the very thin, flexible, rubber-like materials andsynthetic rubbers and waterproof plastic materials that are being usedfor certain undergarments at I the present time are also quiteadaptable'for formation 6 of the collector bag 10. It will also be notedfrom the drawings that the walls of the trough 38 may be relativelythick to resist collapse when the conduit 11a is connected to asub-atmospheric pressure source. Trough 38 is not a stiff sectionbecause it must he flexible enough 10 to conform to body crotch portion.

' Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of this invention that is quiteinexpensive and quite satisfactory if a water outlet is convenientlylocated with respect to the patient. In this form of the invention thesame type of collector bag Ill is adapted to be applied to the patientand the conduit 11a connects the drain trough 38 of the collector bag 10to a water ejector fitting 41. Ejector fitting 41 is essentially nothingother than a venturi such that when waterfront outlet 42 passes throughconduit 11c and through the ejector venturi 41 into the dischargeconduit 11d a subfatmospheric pressure will be developedin the conduit11d and in the interior of the collectorbag 10. As'fwith the other formof the invention shown in Figs. l-5,fthe s'ub atmos'pheric pressure inconduit 11:: is applied to the interio'r'of the collector bag'ltl toeifecta leakproof seal between the bag 10 and the body of the patientusing the device. Furthermore, the sub-atmospheric pressure in conduit11a produces a suction that withdraws the liquid'collected inbag trough38 and deposits it in the discharge conduit 1161 so that it may beconducted to'a discltiarge traporthe like. From the'foregoingdescription it is clear that there has been provided a new andimprovedtype of urination control device that is of a simple,inexpensive, form one that is equally applicable to a male or femaleperson. The design'of the collector bag unit of this device is such thatit is easy to apply, leakproof, comfortable to wear and conducive touninterrupted rest. The use of a two-speed motor M to drive the suctionpump P and the incorporation of a pressure limit valve V in the suctionsystem are other features that'insure the efficient operation of thisdevice without any discomfort to the user.

.I claim:

45 l. Ina urination control device a urine collector bag comprising apants-like garment of water-proof material having a collector troughformed in the crotch portion thereof, a discharge conduit connected tosaid'collector trough, and inwardly projecting ribs ion the interioreut- 5 face of said garment surrounding said crotch portion and adaptedto seal oif said crotch portion against'the adjacent portions of a humanbody when the interior of said garment is subjected 'to asub-atmospheric pressure while the. bag is applied to the crotch portionof a human body,

a motor driven source of sub-atmospheric pressure connected to saidconduit means, and a pressure control valve connected to said pressuresource to limit the pressure; :applied to said collector hag. i

" "2. In a urinationcontrol' device a urine collector bag 0 comprising apants-like garment'of water-proof material having a collector troughformed in the crotch portion thereof, a discharge conduit connected tosaid collector trough, and inwardly projecting ribson the interiorSurface of said garment surrounding said crotch portion and 35 adaptedto seal on said crotch portion against the adjacent portions of a humanbody when the interior of said garment is subjected to a sub-atmosphericpressure while I the bag is applied to the crotch portion of a humanbody,

a motor driven source of sub-atmospheric pressure con- 7 nected to saidconduit means, and a pressure control valve connected to saidpressure'source tov limitthe pressure applied to said collector bag, said motordriven pres: sure source including a variable speed motor to providemeans to varythe pressure applied to said collector bag. .275 3. Aurination control device for use by a human being comprising a'fluidcollector bag to be worn by a patient in the form of a liquid-proof,pants-like, garment having a trough-like crotch portion that issurrounded by internally disposed sealing rib means extendingcontinuously around said crotch portion, a fluid drain conduit connectedto said crotch portion, a motor driven suction pump connected to saidconduit to provide a sub-atmospheric pressure within the collector bagto cause the continuous, internally ribbed, portions of the bag to bedrawn into sealing engagement with the body of the patient, said pumpalso functioning to withdraw any fluid deposited within the bag crotchportion, and an accumulator tank connected to said fluid drain conduitto receive the fluid withdrawn from the collector bag by said pump;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSBusinger Jan. 21, 1930 Kurtz Jan. 10, |1950 Lent et al June 12, 1956FOREIGN PATENTS

